From Montauk to Springs, via Scow: Jim and Charlotte’s Odyssey
A Special Talk with Helen Harrison at The Leiber Collection
The Leiber Collection is pleased to present From Montauk to Springs, via Scow: Jim and Charlotte’s Odyssey, an illustrated talk by renowned art historian Helen A. Harrison, former Director of the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center.
On Sunday, August 24, at 4 p.m., Helen A. Harrison will trace the remarkable journey of Abstract Expressionists James Brooks and Charlotte Park through the story of their East End home and studios. She will present rarely seen photographs of their Montauk property near Rocky Point—where friends Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner were frequent visitors—the devastating destruction of their home and studios by Hurricane Carol in 1954, and the dramatic relocation to Neck Path in Springs.
Original documents will be on display, including the Montauk deed, the moving estimate for transporting their house across Napeague Bay on a scow, and Brooks’ architectural plans for his new studio in Springs. This vivid narrative of resilience, creativity, and place is brought to life through Harrison’s expert research and storytelling.
Helen A. Harrison, who authored the 2014 report that led to the East Hampton Town Board’s designation of the Brooks-Park property as a historic landmark, brings a unique depth of insight to this personal and historical odyssey.
This special event is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Charlotte Park and James Brooks ~ Of This Place, currently on view at The Leiber Collection.
Seating is limited; Reserve your tickets today.
To reserve tickets, click HERE.
Tickets are by donation. Donations are welcome but not required.
The Leiber Collection is located at 446 Old Stone Highway in the East Hampton hamlet of Springs. The Collection is open on Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays from 1 – 4 pm and at other times by appointment.
For more information, or to arrange a private viewing of the museum, don't hesitate to get in touch with Ann Stewart at info@leibercollection.org
The Brooks-Park Home & Studios on Neck Path in East Hampton is where noted American artists Charlotte Park and James Brooks lived for over four decades, beginning in 1957. It is an internationally significant site purchased by the Town of East Hampton in 2013 through the Community Preservation Fund (CPF) program. The eleven acres of beech and oak woodlands, which connect with historic trails, were initially purchased for the purpose of open space. Following public advocacy in favor of preserving the buildings on this site, the town designated the property a local historic landmark in 2014.
The centerpiece of the site is the purpose-built studio designed by James Brooks in 1959. Nearby is the modest house, comprised in part by a 19th-century timber-frame cottage that the artists had lived in since 1948, having moved from Montauk after Hurricane Carol devastated the area in 1954. A small building also brought from Montauk in 1957 and sited near the Brooks Studio is the only surviving structure from the fishing community known as the Tar Works in Montauk. It served as a guest cottage for friends like Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner. Completing the group of extant buildings on this secluded site, standing partway between the residence and Brooks Studio, is Charlotte Park's small studio building, which is said to have been a former Wainscott Post Office.
Since 2014, despite local landmark designation and widespread public interest and advocacy—including being listed in 2021 and 2022 as an endangered site by Preservation Long Island, Preservation League of New York State, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation— any significant progress with preservation efforts has been deterred by a lack of political will and dedicated funding.
For more information about the Brooks–Park Home and studios, please see their website at https://brooks-parkarts.org
For more information, click HERE.
To reserve tickets for Helen's Talk, click HERE.
Also on view at The Leiber Collection: "Celebration: 20 Years of Art, Fashion and The Garden", and our 6th Annual "Garden of Friends" exhibition.
